One Shot
by verticallimit379
Summary: This isn't so much a story as a series of one shot fics. All will be Castle/Beckett, and most will be angsty, drama, hurt/comfort, romance and fluff.
1. One Shot

**Ok, so this 'story' is going to be a collection of one shot Castle/Beckett fics**, **with each chapter being a different fanfiction. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!**

**One Shot**

One shot.

One bullet.

One choice.

One moment.

One life.

One shot is all it takes to shatter someone's world, to change someone life, to make everything different.

One shot killed Dick Coonan. One bullet hit Katherine Beckett in the chest. One choice led her to pull the trigger, killing the man behind the murders of Johanna Beckett and Roy Montgomery. One moment later and Castle is wrapping his arms around her as she falls to the ground and she is letting him. She's even pulling him closer. One life freed from the chains that had held it down for so long. And six months later, just when the dust had started to settle, one shot, gone astray, hits the man that Kate Beckett was finally allowing herself to love.

Sitting in the hospital waiting room she knows he's going to be fine. Logically Kate knew that the author, her author, who was lying in surgery with a bullet in his leg, was going to make it. There would be confinement to bed, and probably some time in a wheelchair, and then crutches during physical therapy, and then walking just fine, even running. Knowing Castle he would invent some sort of wheelchair games to keep himself occupied, the thought of which make Beckett smile despite the situation. There would also be the task of keeping him out of the field with her until the physical therapist gave him the OK.

But none of that was the problem. None of that was the reason why Kate's head whipped around to find the source of every loud noise, why her heart rate picked up just a bit at every slam or bang of a door.

The problem was that it had been almost six months since she had shot the man who hired Coonan to kill her mother and things had been going back to normal. Or as normal as they were going to get. She had finally let Castle break down the last of her walls and allowed him to step over the rubble. That day…she didn't like to think about it, but that one day, hell that one instant when she had pulled the trigger had changed so much. She couldn't pull her mind back as it drifted to what happened right after the bullet left her gun.

She had pulled the trigger and then just stood there. Ryan and Esposito had been standing next to her, and Castle had been right behind them. Her gun went off and everything was silent for a minute. Ryan went to check for a pulse and Esposito simply stood there, staring at the body. But the aftermath had been lost on Kate, who had felt a surge of emotion after seeing the shake of Ryan's head. It was over. Her mind was a fog except for that one phrase. _It's over. _Then all of a sudden she saw the faces of her mom and her dad and Montgomery swimming in front of her eyes and the emotion that she had gotten so good at holding back surged forward and broke through her barriers. The floor came rushing towards her but she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her just in time to lower her gently the rest of the way. Her breathing game in gasps as their lungs tried to fill themselves around the rush of tears. Normally she would care that everyone was seeing her have some sort of meltdown but not today. The walls she had spent so many years building up were crumbling to dust and something that had been hiding behind them was spreading its wings and trying to fly. Through the white noise in her mind she could hear Castle talking to her, saying her name. She could feel him holding her, keeping her from hitting the ground but being careful, not knowing if she wanted him there or not.

Though the tears still flowed freely her breathing began to return to normal and she managed to find Ricks face through the blurriness. It was all she could do to wrap her arms around him. Of course she wanted him there. She realized now that she had wanted him there for a long time, that she needed him there. Who else would know what this meant to her? Who else would be there to help her pick up the pieces? Who else had been there all along?

Kate was pulled back to the present when someone walked by just a little too close. Now, six months after everything she had begun to feel safe again. With the help of her therapist and with Castle by her side she had loosened all the ropes that had been keeping her tied to the ground and she was soaring. She still had nightmares, and she still got feelings of being insecure, but it was getting so much better. Castle had been improving too. She hadn't realized before then how much of what happened to her affected him as well. It was nothing short of miraculous that they had survived the ordeal and come out of it stronger and together.

But now this. He had been shot and she couldn't help but blame herself, at least in part. He was going to be fine but that wasn't the point. The point was they were supposed to be safe now. Well, as safe as she could get being a homicide detective. And he wasn't even supposed to be in the line of fire. He had refused to stay in the car, yet again, and now he was lying on an emergency room operating table.

Kate put her head in her hands and tried taking deep breaths around the paranoia that was surfacing. Someone walked by again, but this time the shoes stopped right in front of her. She picked her head up quickly, eyes wide. A nurse in light blue scrubs was standing in front of her.

"You're waiting for Mr. Castle right?"

Kate simply nodded.

"Well he made it out of surgery fine. There should be no lasting damage to his leg. With enough time and physical therapy he will be as good as new."

Kate let out a long shaky breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Thanks. Um, when can I see him?"

"He's still asleep but the anesthesia should be wearing off soon I you want to go into his room and wait."

"Yes, please." Kate said, standing up and following the nurse through a set of double doors and down a hallway. They stopped halfway down and the nurse pointed to a door on the right. Kate thanked her and opened the door slowly, not sure exactly what she was going to find on the other side.

Turns out she really shouldn't have been worrying too much. Castle was sitting up in his bed, looking groggy and pale, but more like himself than she thought he would. "Hey, Castle." She said tentatively.

"Aww Kate, you came to see me."

Oh good, they had him on pain medication. She sighed and took a few steps closer to where she could reach out and take his hand in hers. "Of course I came Rick, you got shot. Do you really think I would go anywhere else?"

"You never know, could have gotten a case while I was out. How long was I out? What day is it?"

Beckett couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You've only been out for about four hours. The bullet went right though so it was a clean wound at least."

"That's good." He said with a sigh, resting his head back against the pillow. Apparently talking this much was taking a toll on him.

Kate leaned down and pressed her lips gently to his. "At least if you're in the hospital for a few days it will give me time to do all the paperwork you caused by getting yourself shot." She said with a smirk. Hopefully his sense of humor was still intact.

Rick scowled for a moment. "I come across as manly and heroic in your report right?" He said, returning her smile.

"Heroic? Please, you got hit with a stray bullet, you weren't fighting off a dozen masked gunman. And if you had stayed in the car we wouldn't be here at all."

"Staying in the car is neither manly nor heroic. Plus I've been following you around for over four years now and this is the first time I've gotten shot. I'd say that gives me a pretty good track record."

"I suppose." Beckett said with a huff. "CSU is going to have a field day with that crime scene though, you sure do bleed a lot."

Suddenly Castle's eyes lit up. "Please tell me CSU gave the bullet to Lanie, I want it when she's done."

Kate's eyes got huge. "What? Why?"

"What do you mean why? That's the first time I've ever gotten shot. I wanna get that thing framed."

Oh god, she should have known. "Castle you are not framing a piece of evidence."

"But I need proof of my heroic deeds. What if nobody believes me?"

Kate feels a slight pang in her chest where her own scar is. He doesn't think people will believe him? That's what this is about? "Castle you don't need people to believe you that you got shot. And you can always just show them your scar."

He made what sounded like a laughing noise. "Please, scars only work on the ladies I'm taking my pants off for, and there aren't too many of those anymore." He said with a smirk.

Beckett rolled her eyes and leaned down towards him, her eyes darkening and her voice lowering. "Richard Castle if I catch you taking your pants off for anyone but me I'll shoot you myself."

Castle was about to respond but found his mouth occupied by Kate's, her lips pressing against his in a searing kiss that betrayed more than just the lust that had been in her voice.

He kissed her back, attempting to put just as much emotion into it. As she broke away he felt himself getting tired again, being pulled back into sleep by the medication dripping into his veins. But before sleep consumed him he saw the love and devotion in her eyes, and knew that they could overcome whatever lay ahead and come out on the other side together and stronger than ever.

**Ok so, not one of my better works (in my opinion) but i hope some of you enjoyed it. Reviews are always loved and appreciated soooo much :D**


	2. Finally Together

**Ok, here is the next installation of my series of one shots I have a bunch of school stuff coming up so hopefully this will tide you guys over a bit till I can get another one out :D**

**Finally Together**

Kate Beckett awoke to the early morning sun streaming in through the window and the soft clicking noise of someone typing on a keyboard. She blinked a few times and looked around the room. The room that wasn't hers. She froze for a second, trying to get her fight or flight response in control. She didn't need to fight, and she didn't want to run, not anymore.

She stayed silent and still a moment longer, hoping the man next to her wouldn't notice she was awake yet. Kate forced herself to keep her breathing even as the previous night came rushing back to her in a flood of noises, images and emotions.

_Kate had just gotten out of a session with her therapist and had needed...something. Not just something, she realized as she hailed a cab, him. She needed him, Castle. She had known for a while that she needed to tell him everything, and she was finally ready. Kate gave the cab driver the address to the loft and sat in silence as she tried to figure out how to start. Should she just say it? Just tell him she heard him in the cemetery? All too soon they were at the loft and she was walking through the lobby. The elevator came as soon as she pressed the button. She chewed her lip as she got off and walked down the hall. Her knocks on the door sounded way too loud. He had been so excited to see her that Kate almost felt bad for what she was about to do. She was closer to him and knew the writer better than most people, but Kate had no idea how he would react to what she was going to tell him. She turned down his offer of a glass of wine and made her way into his office while he poured himself one._

_She turned to face him as she heard him come in and close the door. She knew the longer she stood there, dragging it, out the more likely she was to lose her resolve. So she just said it. She squeezed her eyes shut and started pacing back and forth, afraid to meet his eyes as she told him that she had heard him at Montgomery's funeral and that she regretted turning him away when he had come to see her in the hospital. Once she started the words came freely, but she was still afraid to stop pacing, because if she stopped then she would have to face him and she wasn't sure what emotions she would see coursing through his eyes._

_Her pacing got more frantic as the emotions surfaced and she talked about sitting in that hospital bed that summer and all the physical therapy and the breakup with Josh. Kate couldn't stop her brain from telling her mouth to form the words to tell Castle that all she had wanted going through all that was for him to be there, making jokes and helping her through it. All she had wanted was him, for such a long time but all she had done was push him away because she didn't know how to handle being given something, someone so amazing. She told him she knew she couldn't take back the pain she had cause him, caused them both but that she hoped he could find a way to forgive her and hoped that they could find a way around it, together._

_The rest had happened in a blur, or at least it seemed that way now. There had been accusations and tears and yelling, on both ends. He had told her that he had still be working on her mom's case without her, and the crying and accusing and yelling had started all over. Kate had made her way to the door in a haze of anger and hurt and confusion more than once, prepared to leave. But every time she had been pulled back. By the need to be close to him, by the need to finish the conversation, by the need to see this through, whatever the consequences, without running away. Kate was tired of running, tired of turning away from the man in front of her, tired of pretending she didn't want or need him by her side._

_After the accusations had stopped and their voices had dropped to their normal volume all that was left was the crying and the confusion and the hurt. She had stepped closer to him, tentatively wrapping her arms around him, only to be swept up in his embrace. They held on to each other, neither wanting to let the other go. Then something had shifted, the embrace that had started out reassuring and comforting had heated up. His lips found here and it was soft and passionate before turning into a kiss that wanted more, needed to be closer. Without realizing how it happened Kate found herself with her back up against the bookshelf and Rick pressed up against her, pinning her body against his as his lips made their way to her neck. Both of them were breathing heavier by the time they made it to the bedroom, discarding their clothing along the way._

Kate was brought back to reality by the sun hitting her face and the frantic typing of the man lying next to her. She took a deep breath, putting the emotions, good and bad, to the back of her mind and turning to look at Rick.

He paused in his writing long enough to look down at her and give her a smile that was almost as bright as the sun that was the room glow a warm orange color. "Morning." He said before turning back to the laptop screen.

Kate pulled herself up and scooted over so that her body was flush against his and her chin was resting on his shoulder. She took another deep breath, inhaling the scent of Rick Castle in the morning. He smelled like sleep: warm with a hint of cologne and sweat, mixed with a trace of the detergent he used on his sheets. "How long have you been up?" she asked.

"Oh, about half an hour. I'll be done with this chapter in a second and I can make us some breakfast."

Kate couldn't help but smile as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Are you writing about me?" she said, a giggle just under the surface in her voice.

He chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "No actually this is the new Derrick Storm novel."

"Oh? New Derrick Storm huh?" Kate said grinning and bringing her hand up to run her fingers across his bare chest. She had read something about a new Derrick Storm novel in one of the tabloids but hadn't believed it. Now that she knew it was true her inner Castle fan was dangerously close to showing.

Apparently she wasn't hiding her intentions as well as she thought because Castle turned to her with a huge grin on his face. "No detective, I know you're a fan and I know that we are…" he broke off as she looked up at him, her face only an inch or two from his. His eyes traveled down to her lips, and then down further to where her shoulders were sticking out from under the blankets. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and he wasn't exactly sure when that had happened. "…close" he continued. "But that doesn't mean you get inside information. I don't want anything about this booked leaked onto the internet."

"Oh Castle, you are so full of yourself. You think I would take time out of my schedule to leak your books onto the internet?"

He closed his laptop and set it on the foot of the bed before turning back to face her. "Well, I have a friend that thinks you might." He said, raising an eyebrow.

"A friend? Right. And what is this friends name hmm?" Kate said, rolling onto her back and pushing herself up to lean against the headboard.

"I believe her name is CastleFan119. I haven't seen her on the fan sites very much recently, but I think she is definitely the type of person that would share the occasional inside story."

Kates' eyes got wide and her jaw dropped. Oh god, how did he figure it out? He was right…since he had started following her around she hadn't gone on the fan sites nearly as much but she had kept her account and went on from time to time to see what sort of rumors were circulating. Once in a while she found an article or rumor about her and did what she could to straighten things out without making it obvious who she was. She thought she had done a good job but apparently not. Kate realized that she still hadn't said anything. "I…what….how did you?" wen words didn't work she went back to staring at him as he got out of bed and put a shirt on.

"Remember about a month ago when we were at your place working on that case with the guy who thought he was the reincarnation of Michael Jackson? And I borrowed your computer to look something up? Yeah well the last website you went to popped up and it was my official website and you left yourself logged in." He took a couple steps towards the door, "Pancakes or waffles for breakfast?"

Kate winced as she remembered that night. As if that case hadn't been bad enough now this had to come out of it too? Lanie was the only one that knew about that account. But now that Rick knew? She was never going to live this down. This needed damage control, and quickly. She was lucky that he hadn't told the boys yet and she planned on keeping it that way.

She threw the covers off and put her pants on, not bothering to change into her own shirt. She made her way to the kitchen where Rick had already thrown some bacon onto a pan and was mixing up the batter for pancakes. She leaned up against the counter trying to figure out how to handle this. "I'm actually proud of you Castle," she said, lowering her voice and sauntering up to him where he stood next to the stove. He turned and seeing her so close wrapped one arm around her, pulling her closer as he used the other hand to pour some batter onto the pan next to the bacon.

"What did I do to make you proud of me?" he asked.

She took the spoon out of his hand and put it in the bowl on the counter. Wrapping her arms around his neck she turned him to he was facing her and stood up on her tiptoes, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "Keeping that a secret for so long, it must not have been easy for you. I'm impressed, really."

He smiled at her and kissed be back. "I'm surprised at how well your taking this, considering how hard you tried all these years to keep your inner fangirl a secret."

Kate matched his smile and toyed with the hair on the back of his neck. "That's right, it is a secret." She lowered herself down from her tiptoes and grabbed his ear, twisting it until he yelped and started squirming. "And it is going to stay a secret. If you so much as think about telling anyone about it, I will tell everyone at the precinct about the time you went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, by yourself."

"Ow, ow, ow ok. I won't tell! The bacon is burning, let me go!"

She released him and turned to flip the bacon. He stood next to her rubbing his ear and pouting. "I need to remember not to let you and Alexis in a room together unsupervised." He said, pouring another pancake onto the pan.

"Well, that might get harder if I'm going to be around more…" she said almost hesitantly, letting her words trail off. She wasn't sure exactly where they stood after last night, but she knew there was no going backwards, and she knew that while she would still need her space from time to time she wanted to spend a whole lot more time by his side, waking up next to him, and watching him make her breakfast.

Castle stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "You…want to be around more?" he said, not bothering to hide the surprise in his voice.

She paused what she was doing to gather her thoughts, and her courage. Kate took a step closer to the man in front of her, wrapping her arms around his neck again. "Castle I…last night was…hard, with everything that was said, and I'm sure that we'll have arguments like that again. But this morning? I haven't woken up next to someone in a long time and been that happy and…comfortable. And, if it's ok with you, I'd like for that to happen a lot more often."

Castle took Kates' face in his hands and kissed her. He kissed her as if everything he was feeling could be conveyed to her in that single kiss. Afer a minute he broke apart, keeping her hands in his face, "Kate, it's more than ok. I would love nothing more than to wake up next to you each and every morning."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him again. "Well I don't know about every morning, but some of them would be nice."

Kate turned back to the bacon and pancakes and smiled to herself and she felt his arms slip around her waist from behind. Yeah, she could definitely get used to waking up here a lot more often.

**Well, there you have it. Hope you enjoyed. Also I got a lot of story and author alerts from the last chapter so thanks sooo much :D reviews are always appreciated and help me get things out sooner so you know what to do! ;)**


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